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State of the UO Economy

Windarian

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
I recently returned after a long hiatus. I’d like to understand the economy and how it got here. When I first began in late 1998 and for couple years I played, a placed castle was very expensive at 10 million gold, considering the deed to place one was less than 1 million gold. Now I see built castles going for hundreds of millions and even 1 billion gold. I’m well aware of the rampant duping of gold and items that happened in the early years but what has happened since then to generate all of this wealth? The loot from monsters hasn’t changed from what I can tell. I thought I was flying high when I returned in 2006 and got up to 11 million gold selling potion kegs with my alchemist but 11 million seems to be nothing now. Where is the wealth coming from that the game needs platinum (1 billion gold) currency now?
 

arkiu

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
This is a legitimate issue brought up many times throughout the years, and the devs have done absolutely nothing about it. In my opinion, this is one of the most damaging aspects that has not been accounted for and continually plagues the game (perhaps behind account mgmt). The reason for this - again my opinion - is that by having such incredibly high inflation, a vast majority of content in game becomes irrelevant because there is so little return in doing practically anything except a few high reward runs, specifically as a new player. Useful or cosmetic gold sinks just seem to be non-existent and it keeps getting worse. Im not an economist but the value of gold in this game seems just ridiculous and the devs should really make an attempt to do something about it. But a year or two back when they introduced the plat == 1 billion (def should have been == million) is when i realized they lost all touch with the game in this aspect.

Windarian - do yourself a favor and if you plan on getting back into UO, just accept that things are nothing like they once were man.
 

Windarian

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
This is a legitimate issue brought up many times throughout the years, and the devs have done absolutely nothing about it. In my opinion, this is one of the most damaging aspects that has not been accounted for and continually plagues the game (perhaps behind account mgmt). The reason for this - again my opinion - is that by having such incredibly high inflation, a vast majority of content in game becomes irrelevant because there is so little return in doing practically anything except a few high reward runs, specifically as a new player. Useful or cosmetic gold sinks just seem to be non-existent and it keeps getting worse. Im not an economist but the value of gold in this game seems just ridiculous and the devs should really make an attempt to do something about it. But a year or two back when they introduced the plat == 1 billion (def should have been == million) is when i realized they lost all touch with the game in this aspect.

Windarian - do yourself a favor and if you plan on getting back into UO, just accept that things are nothing like they once were man.
I’m okay with accepting it but I’d like to understand it too. If not from loot then where is the money coming from? Where are people earning the amount of gold that gets them into the hundreds of millions?
 

arkiu

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
I would say most money is (or was) made by selling event drops but even now the market has become saturated with them and im not sure they still sell for hundred+ mils like they used to. When i returned a few years back i had a mil in my account... did a few events and somehow had nearly a billion... pretty silly when most mobs dont even drop 500 gold...
 

Lord Frodo

Stratics Legend
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
UO Gold has been duped for years and at one time the DEVs "caught"some of the dupers and burned their houses in effigy and it was reported that Trillions of gold was deleted which IMHO was just a drop in the bucket and there is still so much gold out there from the duping. Inflation has been running rampant ever since UO went item based and as the items get bigger and better they demand more gold for them. I am not sure when Castles were ever 10 million gold but I do remember Castles selling for $1000 on E-Bay and with the price of gold per dollar now you could buy the gold from other sites and own a few Castles for that same real money. Until UO comes up with some good ways to spend all this ingame gold then more and more will keep pouring in and very little gets taken out of the game.
 

Windarian

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
UO Gold has been duped for years and at one time the DEVs "caught"some of the dupers and burned their houses in effigy and it was reported that Trillions of gold was deleted which IMHO was just a drop in the bucket and there is still so much gold out there from the duping. Inflation has been running rampant ever since UO went item based and as the items get bigger and better they demand more gold for them. I am not sure when Castles were ever 10 million gold but I do remember Castles selling for $1000 on E-Bay and with the price of gold per dollar now you could buy the gold from other sites and own a few Castles for that same real money. Until UO comes up with some good ways to spend all this ingame gold then more and more will keep pouring in and very little gets taken out of the game.
I would have guessed that much of that duped gold would be in inactive and forgotten accounts at this point. Are you suggesting that much of it is still flowing through the active economy? I might be remembering ten million wrong but I do also remember seeing a UO castle for $1,000 on eBay.

Any ideas for ways to spend all this in-game gold?
 
Last edited:

arkiu

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
I personally would like to see shard transfer shields available for gold (but of course this will never happen). I’ve always thought that these shields are crucial and should be more widely available because shards are very sparse and the majority of players do not have accounts this old im guessing. Isnt it $20 a pop in the store? Kind of ridiculous price for a sub game - makes me think BS forgot there is a monthly fee and just want to nickel and dime.

A gold sink like this wouldn’t solve much but can maybe lead to other sinks that can really raise the coin. Price one shield at say... 100mil or something. There is a need so i think* they would sell in big numbers.
 

Fae Reim

Visitor
I personally would like to see shard transfer shields available for gold (but of course this will never happen). I’ve always thought that these shields are crucial and should be more widely available because shards are very sparse and the majority of players do not have accounts this old im guessing. Isnt it $20 a pop in the store? Kind of ridiculous price for a sub game - makes me think BS forgot there is a monthly fee and just want to nickel and dime.

A gold sink like this wouldn’t solve much but can maybe lead to other sinks that can really raise the coin. Price one shield at say... 100mil or something. There is a need so i think* they would sell in big numbers.
I'd say let transfer tokens be bought via gold that way you have to keep spending gold per transfer instead of spending a one time deal for permanent transfers.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
 

Haidon

Seasoned Veteran
Stratics Veteran
The problem as I see it is that any item that they sell for gold would probably also be attractive for sale for real life money. Most likely they will opt for the real life money sale.

What I would like to see is sale of EM event items for gold. Give out the items as they are now, but then also offer the items for in-game gold. 100 mil or so. That way people that don't get them at the event can still purchase items that they want. It would be nice if there was also a discount for people that actually attended the event if that were possible. Only have the items for sale for a short period of time after the event, maybe a week or so.
 

Cymidei

UO Pacific News Reporter
Alumni
Supporter
Stratics Veteran
Campaign Supporter
lol just put a casino in game with loot boxes and desire able items for in game gold. Let RNG make paupers out of all. Just don’t tempt me with my real money EA!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

DJAd

Stratics Legend
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
lol just put a casino in game with loot boxes and desire able items for in game gold. Let RNG make paupers out of all. Just don’t tempt me with my real money EA!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I would LOVE them to add something like poker or roulette into the game. It would be great. They already have a casino (on fire island) so they are almost there.
 

Windarian

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
I would LOVE them to add something like poker or roulette into the game. It would be great. They already have a casino (on fire island) so they are almost there.
Casino on Fire Island? Where is the casino?
 

Planters

Slightly Crazed
Stratics Veteran
And if you can buy the items for events you attend that also drops the price and the appeal of others just coming to events to get items to sell. I love this gold sink idea.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Windarian

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
So I went to check it out last night and found something else. I never ended up finding the casino but did find Underworld. I had never heard of that place before since my knowledge of any UO lore post T2A is very slim. I wandered around a bit and discovered that goblins are more powerful than I would have guessed and then got stuck on the other side of some teleporter. All in all, I was happy to discover something new. That's always been a huge part of the UO experience for me. :)
 

Basara

UO Forum Moderator
Moderator
Professional
Governor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Wiki Moderator
UNLEASHED
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For the casino, go to the underworld entrance, then walk toward the ocean following the cliff face west.

You can't miss it.


As for the other side of the underworld, It's a circle with a break in it over the river. Gargoyles can fly back across the broken bridge, when going clockwise, but humans and elves have to find other means. Going counter-clockwise (using the secret door to the bloodworm/blood elemental area) takes you to a teleporter that is one-way, but puts you at the top of the spiral steps to the Abyss (between the Green and Gray goblins). You can't gate there, but you can recall/sacred journey out of the Underworld on regular shards. SP, you got to look for other options (then again, I believe SP has an alternate location for the Underworld entrance, not having Trammel). Continuing counter-clockwise, you can walk out of the underworld to the entrance, by going left through the no-man's land between the two goblin areas (not going into either) across the vine area, then down through the undead area (see next paragraph - there are hidden areas off it), across the bridge, through the bloodworm area, and finally through the acid slug and slime areas back to the entrance. There's also several quests to familiarize yourself along the way, and areas with stealables.

There are several other hidden areas in the underworld. One goes to a landing that is a safe fishing spot, another goes to the experimental gem area, and a third goes to the room with the greater poison elemental, which has a teleport. There's also a teleport past the Gray goblins, prior to the spider area outside Navrey (a boss area that, if you haven't done, you should try - though many shards have a teleport straight to Navrey gotten by an EM goof on one shard being duped). The teleporters, IIRC, lead to a platform maze (that looks broken but can be walked across if you know the path - and there are ways back to the top if you fall off) to get back to the area with the blood elemental and rotworms.

The last option is (if it lets you - you might need a quest), to go down the spiral steps to the Abyss, and either use a teleporter in one of the two houses in the abyss (most shards had, and still have, houses with teleporters installed to the outside), or find one of the two fel-ruleset champ spawns down there, and use one of the sparkly teleports there to get to one of the Fel dungeons, and leave via it.

Note - the hallway puzzle is a bear (though easy if you use one of the guide pages for the puzzle itself), and the goblins of both colors are the primary source for common and uncommon music gears with Stygian Abyss music for Dawn's music box (12 common and 5 uncommon; leather wolves are the only other known source). The SA "rare" gears are actually 10x times easier to get, off all the SA mini-bosses, the volcano elementals in Eodon, and other sources. The experimental gem puzzle requires a good connection and quick reflexes.
 

Windarian

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
For the casino, go to the underworld entrance, then walk toward the ocean following the cliff face west.

You can't miss it.


As for the other side of the underworld, It's a circle with a break in it over the river. Gargoyles can fly back across the broken bridge, when going clockwise, but humans and elves have to find other means. Going counter-clockwise (using the secret door to the bloodworm/blood elemental area) takes you to a teleporter that is one-way, but puts you at the top of the spiral steps to the Abyss (between the Green and Gray goblins). You can't gate there, but you can recall/sacred journey out of the Underworld on regular shards. SP, you got to look for other options (then again, I believe SP has an alternate location for the Underworld entrance, not having Trammel). Continuing counter-clockwise, you can walk out of the underworld to the entrance, by going left through the no-man's land between the two goblin areas (not going into either) across the vine area, then down through the undead area (see next paragraph - there are hidden areas off it), across the bridge, through the bloodworm area, and finally through the acid slug and slime areas back to the entrance. There's also several quests to familiarize yourself along the way, and areas with stealables.

There are several other hidden areas in the underworld. One goes to a landing that is a safe fishing spot, another goes to the experimental gem area, and a third goes to the room with the greater poison elemental, which has a teleport. There's also a teleport past the Gray goblins, prior to the spider area outside Navrey (a boss area that, if you haven't done, you should try - though many shards have a teleport straight to Navrey gotten by an EM goof on one shard being duped). The teleporters, IIRC, lead to a platform maze (that looks broken but can be walked across if you know the path - and there are ways back to the top if you fall off) to get back to the area with the blood elemental and rotworms.

The last option is (if it lets you - you might need a quest), to go down the spiral steps to the Abyss, and either use a teleporter in one of the two houses in the abyss (most shards had, and still have, houses with teleporters installed to the outside), or find one of the two fel-ruleset champ spawns down there, and use one of the sparkly teleports there to get to one of the Fel dungeons, and leave via it.

Note - the hallway puzzle is a bear (though easy if you use one of the guide pages for the puzzle itself), and the goblins of both colors are the primary source for common and uncommon music gears with Stygian Abyss music for Dawn's music box (12 common and 5 uncommon; leather wolves are the only other known source). The SA "rare" gears are actually 10x times easier to get, off all the SA mini-bosses, the volcano elementals in Eodon, and other sources. The experimental gem puzzle requires a good connection and quick reflexes.
When I first landed on the beach and walked in towards the Underworld entrance, I did pass through an area that looks like an outdoor wedding setup but did not see what looks like a casino. I'll follow your directions tonight and see if I can find it.

Thanks for the detail about the Underworld! I'll have to check it out more thoroughly!
 

Basara

UO Forum Moderator
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Stratics Legend
Wiki Moderator
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That's probably the casino. the gaming tables are in the tents, and the area is a no pets, no magic zone (was a stone cold pancake when I had a level 3 or 4 T-map INSIDE it)
 

Windarian

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
That's probably the casino. the gaming tables are in the tents, and the area is a no pets, no magic zone (was a stone cold pancake when I had a level 3 or 4 T-map INSIDE it)
I figured it was something else because I didn't see any NPCs like dealers or bartenders. I'll check it out again. Thanks!
 

Windarian

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
I figured it was something else because I didn't see any NPCs like dealers or bartenders. I'll check it out again. Thanks!
Found it last night but it definitely wasn’t the area I saw a few nights ago that looks like an outdoor wedding. I’ll post pics of that later.
 

Innoxicated

Journeyman
where the actual coinage is coming from, I think a lot of ppl buy 3rd party gold so they can afford the exorbitant prices, and in so doing fund the macro gold farmers who fuel the inflation. Not many mobs drop significant amounts of gold, but if you can farm fan dancers\trogs\ice fiends on a low-pop shard 24 hours a day across multiple accounts, I bet you'd be surprised how quickly that adds up. It is very disconcerting that the only way you might make decent money at these types of spawn is probably to be at it 24/7...
 

Xris

Lore Master
Stratics Veteran
UNLEASHED
There have been many many threads about the UO economy and how to fix it. But I can't find anything from devs that even acknowledges the problem, or that they're working on it. Hmmmmmm
 

Eärendil

Legendary Mall Santa
Supporter
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Come to Siege, where 1 mil is a real value, farming gold actually means something and no single Item or coin ever has left the shard. Just login and do do some vendor search.
 
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